The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-09-01
SLEEPING WONDERS.
feats Accomplished by Some Men While
in the Arms of Morpheus

/ feats Accomplished by Some Men WINS
i'm the Arms of Morpheus
Sleep in most individuals lasts for the
space of eight hours. Exceptions to
this statement are numerous; whether
these arise from duty or laziness we
shall not venture to examine. Sir f.
COdrington, the famous naval officer.
when a midshipman. could watch
on deck for nineteen hours; this
left only five for sleep. which in his
case was most profound-so profound
that no noise was sufficiently strong b
waken him; yet if the word ''Signal9'
was whispered in his ear he awoke and
was on deck instantly.
Reporters in the House of Commons
require great exertions to keep them
selves from sleeping. A few years ago
a distinguished member of the gentle
men in the gallery took down speech
while asleep. His statement rests on
his oath. Calvin tells of friend of his
reading aloud to him while asleep.
The organ of vision was alone active.
Coleridge. the dreaming philosopher.
composed 'Kubla Khan" Zone of his
poems) while fast asleep. Next morn
ing he was sure there had been an ac-
QUESTION to his literature, but was too
negligent to write the stanzas. A few
days afterwards he attempted to recall
the verses, but they had for the most
part fed, and the poem as it now stands
is but a fragment.
Every one knows that extreme fatigue
induces sleep, and this in spite of sur
rounding relations which. in ordinary
circumstances, would hinder any one
from resting. Previous to the shorten
ing of the hours of work. factory chill
dren frequently fell asleep while work
ing at the machines, although well
aware that they would incur severe
punishment by doing so. The North
American Indian, at the stake of tor
ture, has been known to 60 to sleep oil
the least remission of agony, and will
slumber until the fire is applied to
awaken him.
1t is on record that. during the heat
of the battle of the Nile. some of the
over-fatigued boys fell asleep upon the
deck, and during the attack upon Ran
COON, in the Burmese war. the Captain
of one of the steam frigates most act
lively engaged, worn out by the excess
of continued mental tension, fell asleep
and remained perfectly unconscious for
| ar.1 IF 10
guns, which were being worked ener-
getically the whole period.
Habit and time, place and ciroum-
stances predispose us all to sleep. The
celebrated pedestrian, Captain Barclay,
when accomplishing his extraordinary
feat of walking one thousand miles in
as many successive hours. obtained at
last such a mastery over himself that he
fell asleep the instant he lay down. The
doctors wife never hears the door bell
during the night, although the noise is
sufficient torOuse the wearied husband;
but should a child in the nursery cry,
then the mother, oblivious of all other
sounds, hears at once the infant voice.
1t is related that the Able Faria, who
acquired notoriety through his power of
inducing somnambulism, was accus-
toned merely to place his patient in an
armchair, after telling him to shut his
eyes and collect himself, and pro-
nounced in strong voice, "Dormez"
which was usually successful.
There seems to be no limit to the
wonders displayed by man in sleeping.
Concerdet, the mathematician, solved
one of his most difficult problems while
asleep-a problem, too, which puzzled
him during his waking hours. A
professor of theology in the University
of Basic once wrote a sermon while
asleep. He found it in his desk next
morning. The preceding night he could
not grapple with the subject as he de-
sired, but the performance of his sleep
| ing hours was quite satisfactory to him.
Jenny Lind was one of the most cele-
brated singers of her time. No one
could rival her powers but factory
girl, who sang sometimes better than
The famous Jenny. The girl could not
attempt any difficult piece when awake,
but when sleeping she sang so correctly,
so like the renowned artistic. that it was
difficult to distinguish between their
voices. On one occasion Mad. Lind
heard the girl, and even tested the
accuracy of her powers by giving her a
long and elaborate chromatic exercise.
This the sleeping girl performed. much
| to the wonder of the famous Swedis h
singer.-London Telegraph.